GMAT Test day nerves

How to combat GMAT test day anxiety

Almost every student I’ve ever taught, from high school juniors taking the PSAT to adults taking the GMAT, admits to some degree of anxiety on test day.

In this case, anxiety stems from fear of poor exam performance, which often snowballs into a myriad of unknown, future consequences, including negative admissions decisions.

Anxiety is detrimental because it impedes the ability to think clearly, and the GMAT is a test of critical thinking skills. Holding back this most important ability will hinder your performance on test day.

While there are several exercises to combat anxiety, I think that the best way to address this is to think of the GMAT as a way to push yourself confidently in a private, one-to-one encounter with the test.

Think of this private communication with the test as the ultimate challenge to prove to yourself that you know what you’re doing, and you’re ready to show the admissions committee what you’re made of. If you have done the work, if your base skills are where they should be, then you will be ready. It is all about preparation and the application of knowledge. You are ALREADY smart -- now you are just teaching yourselves new patterns to recognize.

Isaac is the Academic Director at GMAT Tutor and one of the Verbal content experts and architects. He has been guiding students in the GMAT, GRE, SAT, TOEFL, and IELTS exams for over ten years. He has been a Master teacher trainer, pedagogic consultant, and curriculum writer for ESL and exams training. For further fun, Isaac has also been teaching Humanities classes at College and creating ultra new techniques in study skills to help students with Reading and writing skills. A jack of all trades, Isaac has two Master's degrees, in Political Theory and Applied linguistics, paints large scale portraits and landscapes, and plays Jazz saxophone.

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